Is UDI currently processing applications for protection from Syrians?
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security has decided that the processing of applications for protection (asylum) from persons from Syria may resume from 25 December 2025.
On 24 June 2025, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security decided to suspend the processing of applications for protection from Syrian nationals and stateless persons from Syria for up to six months, until 24 December 2025. The background to the suspension was the unclear situation in Syria following the change of power in December 2024. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security has decided not to extend this suspension.
UDI will begin interviewing the first asylum seekers from Syria in January 2026. A large number of people from Syria are waiting for a decision, and many applicants from other countries have also been waiting for a long time. This means that even though UDI will begin processing applications from persons from Syria, it will take a long time before all pending cases have been processed.
UDI must assess the cases in light of the new situation in Syria, which means that we must also take new information into account when processing the cases. As a result, case processing may take longer, especially in the initial phase. It may also take longer to receive a decision after the interview than has previously been the case. You may also experience that some applicants receive a decision before you, even if they applied for protection after you. Some cases will take longer than others.